NORWICH: 
Early  Homes  and  History. 


A    PAPER 

Written  and  Delivered  by 

SARAH  LESTER  TYLER 

At  the  Meeting  of 
Faith   Trumbull  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  held   December  7,  1905. 


(SECOND  EDITION.) 


PUBLISHED  BY 


FAITH  TRUMBULL  CHAPTER,  D.  A.  R. 

NORWICH,  CONNECTICUT, 

1906. 


Norwich:    Early  Homes  and  History. 


I  am  sure  every  one  agrees  that  Norwich,  which  in  the  old 
Saxon  tongue  means  North  Castle,  is  a  most  picturesque  and  inter- 
esting city. 

In  some  of  the  old  records  it  is  called  "New  Norwich,"  having 
been  named,  it  is  pleasant  to  think,  in  loving  memory  of  the  old 
home  in  England.  There  has  always  been  some  controversy  as  to 
the  true  pronunciation  of  the  name ;  it  has  been  called,  Norich, 
Norwich,  Norwidge,  and  Norridge,  and  even  the  old  nursery  rhyme, 

"  The  man  in  the  moon  came  down  at  noon 

To  inquire  the  way  to  Norridge, 
The  man  in  the  south  burnt  his  mouth 
Eating  frozen  porridge," 

hasn't  been  able  to  settle  the  matter. 

It  is  something  of  a  problem  to  decide  when  our  city  is  more 
beautiful ;  in  the  spring,  when  nature,  springing  into  life,  is  putting 
forth  her  tender  greens  and  the  high  hills  are  a  mass  of  feathery 
beauty,  or,  in  the  autumn,  when  in  her  maturity  she  retires  in  a 
blaze  of  glory,  the  maples,  beeches  and  other  foliage  vicing  with 
each  other  in  gorgeousness  of  coloring.  Norwich  stands  almost 
aggressively  between  the  arms  of  the  Thames  (the  Yantic  and 
Shetucket  rivers),  and  with  its  bold  landscape  possesses  unusually 
diversified  scenery. 

The  sail  up  the  Thames  is  delightful ;  the  hills  crowned  with 
forests  and  sloping  to  the  water's  edge  form  an  almost  unbroken 
frontage  of  green,  reflected  in  the  placid  water  beneath,  and  the 
homesteads  scattered  along  its  banks  add  a  touch  of  life,  and  give 
charm  to  the  scene.  The  approach  to  the  city  is  striking ;  at  the 
left,  rising  high,  is  Mount  Pleasant;  at  the  right,  equally  high, 
Laurel  Hill,  and  in  front,  rising  still  higher,  is  "Jail,"  or  as  it  used 
to  be  called,  "  Savin  Hill,"  and  on  each,  tier  above  tier,  are  dwellings 


peeping  out  from  masses  of  foliage.  It  might  indeed,  like  Rome, 
be  called  "The  Hill  City."  Standing  upon  either  of  these  heights 
one  looks  down  upon  a  scene  of  exquisite  beauty, — the  rivers,  like 
threads  of  silver  winding  through  the  green  fields  that  are  dotted 
here  and  there  with  field  flowers,  gleam  and  glisten  in  the  sunshine, 
and  make  one  almost  imagine  themselves  in  Rasselas'  "Happy 
Valley." 

One  seeing  Norwich  today  with  its  handsome  streets,  costly 
dwellings,  its  industries,  educational  advantages  and  cultivation, 
could  hardly  realize  that  originally  this  was  a  wilderness  of  nine 
miles  square,  divided  among  thirty-eight  proprietors,  or  that  it 
would  occupy  so  distinguished  a  place  in  history,  as  it  now  does. 

The  early  settlers  were  men  of  remarkable  ability  and  far- 
sightedness, and  through  their  influence  Norwich  became  a  centre 
of  patriotism,  and  later  a  pioneer  of  industries. 

Our  "  Rose  of  New  England,"  as  it  has  been  aptly  named,  is 
truly  an  "American  Beauty,"  fragrant  with  historic  associations  ; 
her  leaves  ever  green  with  the  records  of  the  (Jevotion  of  her  sons 
and  daughters  to  the  causes  of  liberty,  religion,  and  the  material 
interests  of  the  place. 

It  has  been  with  feelings  of  sadness,  as  well  as  admiration,  that 
I  have  looked  over  the  history  of  this  old  town,  and  thought  of  the 
struggles  of  those  early  times  ;  the  weary,  anxious  days  and  the 
watchful  nights,  when  they  knew  not  which  to  fear  most,  the  face 
of  the  savage  foe  or  the  growl  of  the  beasts  of  the  forest.  And 
the  silence!  we  of  the  cities  whose  ears  are  accustomed  to  the 
whirr  and  hum  of  human  activities,  know  nothing  of  the  silence  of 
a  great  wilderness ;  the  sound  of  a  footfall  or  the  crackling  of  a 
twig  causing  every  sense  to  be  on  the  alert,  not  knowing  what  it 
might  portend. 

As  there  were  no  markets,  and  very  little  money,  the  trade 
was  principally  by  barter,  and  no  doubt  the  early  settlers  experi- 
enced many  privations ;  but  as  intercourse  with  other  settlements 
was  established  and  the  redeemed  land  became  productive,  they 
after  a  time  accumulated  considerable  wealth,  and  as  they  became 
more  at  ease  about  their  temporal  affairs,  provided  better  houses 
for  worship,  education  and  residence,  and  the  stirring  events  of  the 
Revolution,  and  the  participation  in  them  of  the  people  of  the 
"Town  Plot,"  has  made  their  names  and  homes  historic. 


5 

With  people  who  had  so  strong  religious  principles  as  the 
early  proprietors  of  Norwich,  the  first  duty  after  securing  homes 
for  their  families  and  a  mill,  was  to  provide  a  place  of  worship. 
The  first  church  was  built  probably  about  1661  and  stood  near  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  Green. 

It  was  undoubtedly  a  very  primitive  affair,  and  in  1668,  a  small 
rate  was  collected  to  pay  Samuel  Lathrop  for  repairing  and  height- 
ening "The  Meeting  house." 

In  1673  the  town  contracted  with  John  Elderkin  to  build  a 
"New  Meeting  house."  The  site  selected  was  on  "the  rocks." 
The  turbulent  state  of  the  time  demanded  that  it  should  be  where 
they  could  not  be  easily  surprised,  and  that  it  might  serve  as  a 
watch  tower,  an  arsenal  and  a  garrison  post,  as  well  as  a  house  of 
worship. 

Until  all  fear  of  the  Indians  had  passed  away,  the  men  repaired 
to  the  church  with  their  muskets,  which  were  stacked  outside, 
and  some  stayed  to  watch  and  guard  them  while  the  service  was 
going  on  within. 

It  must  have  been  weary  work  for  old  people  climbing  the 
steep  hill,  but  they  continued  to  do  so  for  nearly  a  hundred  years, 
for  it  was  not  until  1770  that  we  learn  the  new  church  was  com- 
pleted in  the  "Town  Plot,"  probably  on  the  same  site  which  it 
now  occupies  under  the  rocks. 

In  1708  a  bell  had  been  given  the  town  by  Capt.  Rene 
Grignon,  a  French  Protestant,  who  had  recently  come  there  to 
reside.  Miss  Caulkins  says  :  "This  was  supposed  to  have  been  a 
Huguenot  bell  brought  from  France  by  a  band  of  French  exiles 
who  purchased  lands  at  Oxford,  Mass.,  and  began  a  settlement, 
which  the  hostile  visits  of  the  Indians  obliged  them  to  abandon." 

Captain  Grignon  was  one  of  this  dispersed  company,  and  the 
bell  had  doubtless  resounded  on  the  shores  of  France  and  amid  the 
woods  of  Oxford  before  it  came  to  Norwich.  It  was  suspended 
from  a  scaffolding  erected  on  the  hill  near  the  ridge  west  of  the 
"Meeting  house"  and  near  the  path  by  which  the  inhabitants  of 
the  west  end  of  the  town  came  cross-lots  to  meeting. 

It  is  doubtful  if  it  was  hung  in  the  steeple  of  the  new  church, 
although  it  was  ordered  to  be  rung  on  the  Sabbath,  and  "on  all 
public  days,  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  as  is  customary  in 
other  places  where  there  are  bells." 


Near  to  this  historic  old  church,  facing  the  Green,  is  the  "old 
store."  It  was  built  by  Gardner  Carpenter,  one  of  the  first  traders, 
and  has  remained  in  the  family  ever  since,  and  is  now  occupied  by 
one  of  the  descendants,  Joseph  Carpenter,  3rd,  a  very  old  man. 

Between  the  store  and  the  church  was  the  tavern  of  Jesse 
Brown.  In  the  early  part  of  the  Revolutionary  war  he  was  in  the 
service  of  the  state  as  an  express  agent  and  confidential  messenger, 
bringing,  in  October,  1777,  the  latest  news  of  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, then  in  session  at  Yorktown,  and  the  occupation  of  Philadel- 
phia by  the  British  under  Lord  Howe.  This  hotel  was  famous  for 
its  good  dinners. 

Mr.  Brown's  daughter  married  a  Mr.  Vernet,  and  he  intro- 
duced into  the  garden  of  the  tavern  a  grapevine  which  was  known 
throughout  the  neighborhood  as  the  Vernet  grape.  It  is  thought 
some  of  the  original  vine  may  still  be  growing  in  the  garden. 

In  1817,  Capt.  Bela  Peck  purchased  the  tavern,  and  lived  there 
until  his  death  in  1850.  It  was  then  bought  by  Mr.  Moses  Pierce, 
who  lived  there  several  years  and  then  gave  it  to  "  The  United 
Workers,"  as  a  home  for  friendless  children,  and  the  old  tavern  is 
now  "The  Rock  Nook  Home." 

On  the  corner  of  "  Burying  ground  lane,"  was  the  store  of 
John  Perrit,  diagonally  opposite  the  house  which  was  later  sold  to 
William  Cleveland,  son  of  Mr.  Aaron  Cleveland. 

On  the  site  of  Capt.  John  Mason's  dwelling,  which  was  the 
first  house  built  in  Norwich,  was  the  court  house.  It  was  some 
years  since  converted  into  a  school  house,  and  remained  in  use 
until  quite  recently. 

"  The  key  of  the  court  house  was  given  into  the  custody  of 
Capt.  Joseph  Tracy  in  1736,  and  a  room  was  made  to  hold  the 
town's  stock  of  ammunition,  and  a  fine  of  53.  imposed  on  any  man 
'who  shall  smoke  it,  in  the  time  of  sessions  of  any  town  meeting.' " 

In  this  court-house  in  1767  was  read  the  famous  Boston  Circu- 
lar, and  a  committee  of  prominent  citizens  was  formed  to  draw  up  a 
report  for  the  next  meeting.  This  consisted  of  an  agreement  not  to 
import,  or  to  use  articles  of  foreign  manufacture  or  produce.  One 
clause  reads,  "And  it  is  strongly  recommended  to  the  worthy  ladies 
of  this  town,  that  for  the  future  they  would  omit  tea  drinking  in 
the  afternoon."  In  1774,  a  circular  letter  from  the  Boston  Com- 
mittee of  Correspondence  calling  for  resistance  to  the  oppressive 


laws  of  the  mother  country,  brought  out  so  large  an  audience,  they 
were  obliged  to  adjourn  from  the  court  house  to  the  meeting  house. 

It  was  used  not  only  for  the  county  court  business,  but  served 
as  a  theatre  also.  In  1791,  several  "Tragedy's"  and  a  "Comedy" 
called  "The  Citizen,  or  Old  Square  Toes  Outwitted,"  and  "The 
Female  Madcap  "  were  given.  The  entertainments  began  at  six 
o'clock.  Singing  schools  and  dancing  classes  were  held  here. 
Mrs.  Sigourney  says,  when  discords  occurred,  the  master,  with 
more  knowledge  of  music  than  grammar  would  say,  "  There,  it  is 
them  young  treble,"  referring  to  the  girls  of  the  novitiate,  tech- 
nically called  the  young  treble.  Her  first  dancing  master  was  a 
Frenchman,  whose  previous  history  not  even  Yankee  perseverance 
could  elicit.  In  front  of  the  court  house  was  the  whipping  post 
and  pillory. 

The  first  newspaper  was  established  in  1773.  The  press  was 
at  first  set  up  in  an  office  at  the  foot  of  the  Green  near  the  court 
house,  but  in  July,  1775,  was  removed  to  a  new  building  near  the 
meeting  house,  and  for  fifty  years  or  more  was  known  as  "Trum- 
bull's  printing  office."  This  newspaper  was  called  "  The  Norwich 
Packet,  and  Connecticut,  New  Hampshire,  and  the  Massachusetts, 
Rhode  Island  Weekly  Advertiser."  It  was  afterwards  entitled 
"The  Norwich  Packet  and  Country  Journal." 

Another  printing  press  was  set  up  on  the  Green  the  same 
year  by  Judah  Paddock  Spooner,  brother-in-law  of  Timothy  Green, 
who  printed  "The  Connecticut  Gazette,  New  London  at  the 
North  West  corner  of  the  Parade." 

The  paper  used  by  both  firms  was  manufactured  at  Leffing- 
well's  Mills  on  the  Yantic. 

In  an  issue  of  the  Packet,  Sept.  1st,  1785,  we  find :  "Wanted— 
A  good  new  Milch  Cow,  that  is  very  gentle  and  orderly — Inquire 
of  the  Printer."  This  "inquire  of  the  printer"  was  a  common 
ending  to  advertisements  in  the  Packet,  and  was  used  by  the  wits 
of  that  time  as  we  use  a  slang  expression.  Also, 

Just  Published 

Price  i  |  6  (stitch'd  in  blue) 

And  now  selling  by  J.  Trumbull,  at 

his  Printing-Office  in  Norwich, 

(By  the  GROSS,  DOZEN  or  SINGLE,) 

For  Cash,  Country  Produce,  Public 

Securities,  or  clean  Linen  Rags — 


8 

THE 
Youth's  Assistant 

Being  A 

Plain  Easy  and  Comprehensive 
GUIDE  to  PRACTICAL 

ARITHMETIC 
By  ALEXANDER  McDONALD. 

This  work  was  recommended  by  Nathan  Daboll  of  the  Aca- 
demic School,  Plainfield,  and  was  subscribed  to  by  the  following 
gentlemen  :  The  Hon.  Samuel  Huntington,  the  Hon.  Benjamin 
Huntington,  Gen.  Jedediah  Huntington,  Col.  Christopher  Leffing- 
well  and  others. 

Another  Packet  advertisement  is : 

Ebenezer  Freeman  from  Boston 

Blue  Dyer — 

Informs  the  Public  that  he  carries  on  the  business 

of  dyeing  of  Cotton,  Tow,  and  Linen  a  most 

beautiful  blue  (in  indigo)  with  the  greatest 

dispatch. 

Also  takes  in  genteel  Boarders. 
Has  a  handsome  chaise  to  let. 
Ladies  Gauze  Caps,  Flys,  Handkerchiefs,  Aprons 
&c.  ready  made  in  the  newest  taste  at  his  house 
leading  to  the  Landing,  mostly  opposite  to  Capt. 
Hubbards— 

also 
Just  opened 

AT 

Chelsea  HALL 
upon  a  liberal  Plan  and  the  most  reason 

able  Terms 
A  good  school  for  the  ad 

mission  of  A  large  number  of 
scholars;  where  will  be  taught  every 
necessary  branch  of  Education ; — Who- 
ever will  be  pleased  to  place  their  Children 
in  this  Academic  School,  may  depend 
upon  having  them  well  instructed,  in 
The  respective  branches  they  shall  choose 
and  the  greatest  attention  paid  to  their 
morals  and  good  behavior. 

O^gr"  Good  Accommodations  may  be 

had  for  Boarding  at  six  shillings  per 
week. 


(B^T"  Grain,  Beef,  Pork,  Butter  or 
Cheese  will  be  taken  in  part  pay  for 
Board  and  Instruction — For  further  par- 
ticulars enquire  of  the  Subscribers — 

Hezekiah  N.  Woodruff. 
Alexander  McDonald. 

Norwich  Landing  October  19 — 1786 — 

On  the  east  side  of  the  Green,  Madame  Sarah  Knight  owned 
and  kept  as  a  tavern  the  house  now  occupied  by  the  La  Pierre 
family ;  her  warehouse  which  was  near  her  home  has  been  con- 
verted into  a  dwelling.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Kemble 
of  Boston.  In  1673  he  was  sentenced  to  stand  two  hours  in  the 
stocks  for  lewd  and  unseemly  conduct  in  kissing  his  wife  at  the 
doorstep,  after  an  absence  of  three  years,  on  the  Sabbath  day. 

In  the  town  records,  August  12,  1717,  we  find:  "The  town 
grants  liberty  to  Mrs.  Sarah  Knight  to  sitt  in  the  pue  where  she 
use  to  sit  in  ye  meeting  house."  This  church  still  has  in  its 
possession  the  handsome  silver  goblet  presented  to  it  by  her, 
to  be  used  in  its  communion  service. 

In  1704  she  made  the  perilous  journey,  as  it  was  then  consid- 
ered, from  Boston  to  New  York  on  horseback.  She  wrote  a  very 
interesting  account  of  it  in  her  diary  which  was  printed  in  1825, 
and  reprinted  by  the  Academy  Press  in  1891.  She  relates  very 
graphically  her  experiences.  At  one  place  where  she  was  to  lodge 
for  the  night,  she  says  "she  found  everything  very  neat  and  clean. 
After  supper  she  went  to  bed,  but  not  to  sleep,  on  account  of  some 
"top-ers"  in  the  next  room.  At  last  she  rises,  sets  the  candle  on 
a  chest  by  the  bedside,  and  "falls,"  as  she  says,  "to  my  old  way 
of  composing  my  resentments,"  in  the  following  manner: 

"  I  ask  thy  aid,  O  potent  Rum, 
To  charm  these  wrangling  Topers  Dum — 
Thou  hast  their  Giddy  Brains  possest — 
The  man  confounded  with  the  Beast  — 
And  I,  poor  I  can  get  no  rest. 
Intoxicate  them  with  thy  fumes, 
O  still  their  tongues  till  morning  comes." 

And  she  adds,  "I  know  not  but  my  wishes  took  effect,  for  the  dis- 
pute soon  ended  with  tother  dram,  and  so  Good  night." 


10 

Many  of  the  old  houses  about  the  Green  and  the  streets  lead- 
ing to  it  have  a  history  of  Revolutionary  interest. 

The  house  now  owned  by  Mrs.  William  Fitch  was  built  by 
Gen.  Jedediah  Huntington,  who  married  Faith  Trumbull,  and 
served  in  all  the  most  important  engagements  of  the  war.  General 
Huntington  probably  entertained  the  younger  Talleyrand,  and  at  a 
ball  that  he  gave  soon  after  peace  was  declared,  Rochambeau  and 
General  La  Fayette,  as  well  as  Washington,  were  present. 

Near  here  lived  Lieutenant  Tracy,  and  Gov.  Samuel  Hunting- 
ton  built  the  house  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Charles  Young. 

Here  was  the  centre  of  gaiety,  Miss  Caulkins  says :  "  The 
Governor's  nephew,  and  his  wife's  niece,  the  beautiful  Betsey 
Devotion  of  Windham  were  frequent  guests.  After  the  social 
chat  of  the  parlor  they  would  repair  to  the  kitchen,  and  dance 
away  till  the  oak  floor  shone  under  their  feet,  and  the  pewter 
quivered  upon  the  dresser." 

These  pastimes  seldom  lasted  beyond  nine  o'clock.  The  good 
old  Norwich  custom  of  ringing  the  bell  at  that  hour  broke  up  all 
meetings,  dispersed  all  parties,  ended  all  discussions,  and  sent  all 
visitors  quietly  to  their  homes  and  their  beds. 

At  the  head  of  North  Washington  Street,  a  little  up  the  hill, 
is  the  house  where  Mrs.  Sigourney  lived  at  the  time  of  her  marriage ; 
she  often  refers  in  her  poems  to  the  little  brook  that  passed  her 
door.  Her  youth  was  spent  with  Mrs.  Dr.  Daniel  Lathrop,  who 
lived  where  the  Misses  Gilman  live.  Norwich  has  always  had  the 
greatest  veneration  and  affection  for  her  gifted  daughter. 

Mr.  Thomas  Harland  established  himself  here  in  1773  as  a  clock 
and  watchmaker,  and  in  the  Packet,  December,  1773,  he  promises 
"to  do  repairing  and  make  watches  as  fine  as  can  be  done  in 
London."  It  is  said  the  row  of  trees  standing  directly  in  front  of 
the  Harland  house  was  set  out  by  Nathaniel  Shipman,  Sept.  6, 1781, 
the  day  New  London  was  burnt  by  the  British.  Still  farther  down 
the  street  was  the  "grant"  belonging  to  the  Bliss  family. 

The  son  of  Mr.  John  Bliss  was  a  distinguished  bridge  builder, 
and  built  the  bridge  known  as  the  Geometry  bridge.  It  was  de- 
scribed in  a  newspaper  article  June  20,  1764  : 

"  Leffingwell  Bridge  over  Shetucket  River  at  Norwich  Landing 
is  completed.  It  is  124  ft  in  length  and  28  ft  above  the  water. 


II 

Nothing  is  placed  between  the  abutments,  but  the  bridge  is  sup- 
ported by  Geometry  work  above,  and  calculated  to  bear  a  weight 
of  500  tons.  The  work  is  done  by  Mr.  John  Bliss,  one  of  the  most 
curious  mechanics  of  the  age."  This  bridge  is  supposed  to  have 
stood  where  the  Laurel  Hill  bridge  now  stands. 

Across  the  way  from  the  Bliss  home  lot,  as  it  was  called,  was 
that  of  Lieut.  Thomas  Leffingwell  or  Leppingwell,  as  it  was  some- 
times spelled.  Leppingwell  means  "  Leaping  well,"  denoting  a 
boiling  or  bubbling  spring.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  all  town 
affairs.  The  Sheltering  Arms  was  once  the  property  of  Thomas 
Leffingwell,  3rd.  Col.  Christopher  lived  on  the  home  lot,  and  was 
an  ardent  patriot.  General  Washington  on  one  of  his  visits  par- 
took of  the  hospitality  of  the  Leffingwell  home.  He  contributed 
land  toward  the  opening  of  Broadway,  and  planted  some  of  the 
elms  which  are  such  an  ornament  to  the  city.  The  Benedict 
Arnold  house  was  on  the  site  of  the  one  now  known  as  the  James 
Ripley  place,  and  the  old  well  and  other  surroundings  remain  as 
they  were  in  his  time.  He  was  apprenticed  at  one  time  to  Doctors 
Daniel  and  Joshua  Lathrop.  These  two  doctors  and  Dr.  Philip 
Turner  were  the  leading  physicians  of  the  place. 

Near  the  entrance  to  Mill  Lane  is  the  Reynolds  house,  which 
is  on  the  original  home  lot,  and  is  one  of  the  few  houses  that  has 
some  of  the  original  house  still  in  it.  The  other  one  is  the  Gen. 
Jabez  Huntington  house,  which  is  the  quaintest,  oldest  and  most 
interesting  one  in  the  city.  Mill  Lane  was  the  thoroughfare  to 
the  Landing.  It  was  changed  to  La  Fayette  Street,  because  it 
was  said  General  La  Fayette  called  on  a  Frenchman  living  there 
named  Louis  Barriel,  a  stocking  weaver. 

The  triangular  plot  now  the  Little  Plain  was  formerly  called 
the  Everett  Lot.  It  belonged  to  Colonel  Leffingwell,  and  after 
his  death  was  purchased  jointly  by  Hezekiah  Perkins  and  Jabez 
Huntington,  and  in  1811  presented  by  them  to  the  city  on  con- 
dition that  it  should  be  enclosed  and  used  only  as  a  park. 

East  of  the  park  was  the  old  L'Hommedieu  house  and  rope- 
walk.  This  house  was  a  quaint  old  mansion  with  a  lean-to,  and 
the  rope-walk  was  conspicuous  with  its  red  paint. 

Next  the  L'Hommedieu  house  is  the  one  now  owned  by  Mr. 
B.  P.  Bishop,  which  was  built  some  time  in  the  latter  part  of  1700 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Coit.  It  was  purchased  in  1816  by  Mr.  John 


12 

De  Witt,  who  married  Harriet,  daughter  of  Gen.  Jedediah,  and 
granddaughter  of  Gen.  Jabez  Huntington.  The  last  time  General 
La  Fayette  was  in  Norwich  he  went  to  see  Mrs.  De  Witt,  and 
asked  her  if  there  were  any  other  descendants  of  Gen.  Jedediah 
living  here.  Little  Sarah  Huntington,  now  Mrs.  Edward  Hunting- 
ton,  who  was  living  with  Mr.  Jabez  Huntington  two  houses  below, 
was  sent  for.  She  was  about  twelve  years  old  when  she  saw  him, 
and  remembers  him  as  tall  and  very  thin.  When  he  went  away 
he  kissed  all  the  children,  and  Mrs.  Huntington  is  the  only  one 
living,  in  this  city  at  least,  who  has  had  the  honor  of  meeting  and 
being  kissed  by  General  La  Fayette. 

Where  the  Broadway  Church  stands  was  an  old  house  called 
the  "Bath  house," — probably  Bath  Street  was  named  from  it. 
When  there  were  freshets  in  the  spring  the  Franklin  Street  brook 
would  become  a  river  and  regularly  surrounded  the  old  Bath 
house.  Once  while  Mr.  Dorchester,  the  Methodist  minister,  was 
living  there,  the  water  rose  so  high  the  family  had  to  be  taken  out 
of  the  chamber  windows.  He  said :  "  If  he  had  been  a  Baptist,  he 
shouldn't  have  minded  it  so  much,  but  as  he  was  a  Methodist,  he 
didn't  like  quite  so  much  water." 

Across  the  street  from  the  Bath  house  lived  Mr.  Lemuel 
Warren,  "Daddy  Warren,"  as  he  was  called,  and  the  older  people 
say  when  they  were  children  they  used  to  go  to  Daddy  Warren's 
to  get  frozen  apples.  It  seems  a  most  satisfactory  remembrance. 
A  part  of  Union  Square  was  Mr.  Warren's  garden,  and  where  the 
court  house  stands  was  the  home  of  Capt.  Christopher  Vail,  master 
of  the  packet  Venus. 

On  the  site  of  the  Central  Building,  Lower  Broadway,  stood 
the  old  Nathaniel  Backus  house.  This  was  a  very  fine  specimen 
of  the  old  dwellings.  The  paneled  front  door  was  a  work  of  art, 
and  very  imposing  with  its  immense  brass  knocker,  which,  when 
lifted  and  brought  sharply  down,  gave  forth  a  sound  that  re- 
sounded throughout  the  house.  Entering  the  door,  one  found 
themselves  in  a  square  hallway,  and  facing  the  stairs  which  led  to 
the  rooms  above.  The  stairs  were  broken  by  two  "landings;" 
the  sides  were  of  solid  wood,  beautifully  paneled  and  rich  with 
carving.  The  rooms  were  large,  the  "lights"  in  the  windows 
small,  and  the  fire-places  large  enough  to  contain  nearly  a  cord  of 
wood  each.  We  must  not  forget  the  kitchen  fire-place  with  its 


13 

crane  and  pot-hooks,  and  the  capacious  oven,  where  were  baked 
the  winter's  store  of  mince  pies,  the  pumpkin  pies,  and  the  crisp 
loaves  of  brown  bread. 

Next  to  the  Backus  house  was  the  Grace  house  on  the  corner 
where  the  Wauregan  is,  and  the  Christian  Association  building  and 
Otis  Library  occupy  ground  formerly  belonging  to  Dr.  Ripley. 

The  next  house  of  note  is  on  Church  Street,  just  above  the 
Central  Baptist  Church  ;  it  was  built  by  Mr.  Prosper  Wetmore 
and  sold  by  him  to  Dr.  Lemuel  Boswell,  who  for  many  years  was 
the  principal  physician  of  Chelsea.  There  are  several  interesting 
traditions  of  the  Boswell  family.  They  have  a  very  dainty  blue 
satin  slipper  that  belonged  to  Miss  Anne,  daughter  of  Dr.  Lemuel 
Boswell.  It  is  said  she  used  to  walk  in  these  slippers  from  her 
home  on  Church  Street  to  Norwich  Town  to  do  her  shopping. 

All  the  ladies  of  Chelsea  used  to  go  to  "  The  Green,"  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  two  miles,  to  do  their  shopping,  for  they  found 
there  the  best  assortment  of  dry  goods — ribbons,  laces,  crapes, 
calimancos,  tammys,  London  dolls,  etc. 

Dr.  Thomas  Boswell,  son  of  Dr.  Lemuel,  when  a  boy  was  of  a 
mathematical  and  inventive  turn  of  mind.  •  I  was  told  he  used  to 
go  up  into  the  attic  after  school  and  make  drawings  and  calcula- 
tions on  the  rafters,  telling  the  family  there  would  be  steam  car- 
riages in  the  future,  and  people  would  ride  in  them.  The  family 
was  alarmed  about  him,  thinking  his  brain  was  affected  from  over- 
study,  as  at  that  time  anything  of  the  kind  was  unknown. 

He  was  so  persistent  and  talked  about  it  so  much,  his  father 
determined  to  send  him  to  sea  with  his  brother,  Capt.  John  L. 
Boswell,  master  of  the  ship  Sally.  They  had  not  got  far  from  New 
London  when  they  encountered  a  severe  storm ;  the  waves  were 
very  high  and  the  ship  was  rolling  badly ;  a  wave  swept  across  the 
deck  and  washed  young  Boswell  off,  almost  the  next  moment  a 
returning  wave  brought  him  back  again.  The  sailors  were  super- 
stitious and  declared  he  was  a  "Jonah."  They  said  he  did  not 
want  to  go  to  sea,  and  if  he  stayed,  they  would  not  sail  the  ship. 
Captain  Boswell  was  obliged  to  return  to  New  London  and  send 
the  young  man  home.  He  then  decided  to  study  medicine,  and 
became  a  prominent  physician.  His  daughter,  who  told  me  these 
incidents,  went  with  her  father  to  see  General  La  Fayette  when 
he  was  here  the  last  time.  A  great  celebration  was  to  take  place 


14 

in  the  General's  honor.  He  had  some  slight  illness,  and  her  father 
was  sent  for  the  night  before ;  in  the  morning  he  went  again  and 
took  her  with  him  ;  she  remembered  him  distinctly,  his  features, 
his  uniform,  and  his  genial  manner  with  her  father. 

Dr.  Thomas  Boswell  married  the  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Pren- 
tice Peabody,  who  built  the  house  now  owned  by  Dr.  Cassidy  and 
next  to  those  that  belonged  to  Rev.  John  Tyler.  Dr.  Lemuel 
Boswell  built  the  large  house  on  the  corner  of  School  Street  Lane, 
now  used  as  a  boarding  house,  between  his  old  home  and  that  of 
"  Parson  Tyler." 

Opposite  is  the  Second  Congregational  Church,  organized 
Nov.  29,  1751.  The  meetings  were  first  held  in  Trapp's  tavern, 
corner  of  Shetucket  and  Water  Streets  (where  the  Bill  block 
now  is),  and  the  people  were  summoned  to  worship  by  the  tap 
of  a  drum.  In  1763  a  small  wooden  building  was  erected  on  Main 
Street,  very  unpretentious,  and  without  tower  or  steeple ;  so  the 
church  bell  was  hung  on  the  limb  of  a  tree  near  by  and  performed 
its  duty  there.  This  wooden  church  was  destroyed  by  fire ;  then 
the  present  site  was  purchased,  it  had  been  the  regular  training 
ground,  and  another  wooden  church  built.  To  defray  the  expense 
of  building,  a  lottery  to  raise  £850  was  granted  by  the  Legislature. 
The  church  was  used  as  a  polling  place  until  it  was  forbidden, 
because  they  were  so  careless  about  spitting  tobacco  on  the  floor. 
This  church  was  destroyed  by  fire  also,  and  the  present  stone 
church  was  built.  Every  precaution  was  taken  to  secure  this 
from  fire ;  among  other  regulations,  the  sexton  was  allowed  to 
demand  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  for  every  foot-stove  left  in  the  house 
after  the  meetings  were  ended.  This  great  fire  of  1793  caused  the 
first  fire  insurance  company  to  be  organized  here. 

Let  us  go  back  now  to  Mill  Lane,  stopping  for  a  few  moments 
at  the  Falls,  made  famous  by  the  legend  of  the  pursuit  and  flight 
of  the  Mohegan  and  Narragansett  Indians,  and  the  reckless  leap 
of  the  latter  into  the  Falls.  As  the  story  was  told  me  when  a 
child,  some  of  the  Indians  leaped  across  the  chasm  and  escaped, 
which  does  not  seem  so  incredible  when  we  remember  the  mar- 
velous stories  told  of  their  agility  in  leaping  and  running,  and 
that  the  chasm  was  not  so  wide  as  it  is  now. 

As  we  come  down  town  again,  we  pass  through  Sachem  Street 
and  stop  for  a  moment  at  the  Indian  burying  ground  and  Uncas 


15 

monument.  This  burying  ground  extended  beyond  Mr.  William 
N.  Blackstone's  place  on  the  north  and  Mr.  Frederick  L.  Osgood's 
on  the  south  ;  and  no  doubt  the  ground  is  rich  with  Indian  relics, 
as  a  friend  told  me  whose  mother  lived  there  when  she  was  young, 
that  she  used  to  see  them  bury  their  dead  with  all  the  Indian  rites, 
placing  in  the  graves  wampum,  tomahawks,  arrowheads,  beads, 
and  many  personal  belongings  ? 

Chelsea  Parade  was  at  first  known  as  the  Little  Plain,  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  Great  Plain,  which  was  on  the  other  side  of 
the  city.  Can  anyone  tell  why  we  call  it  East  Great  Plain  when 
it  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  unless  it  was  divided  for  some 
reason,  and  that  is  the  eastern  division. 

On  the  nth  of  September,  1793,  the  20th  Regiment  of  Infan- 
try was  reviewed  on  this  Plain,  and  after  that,  it  was  always  called 
The  Parade.  Long  before,  it  had  been  known  as  Adgate's  three- 
square  lot.  Joseph  Perkins  and  Thomas  Fanning,  two  far  sighted 
and  generous  men,  of  their  own  free  will  and  expense  cleared  this 
piece  of  ground  of  all  incumbrances  and  claims  and  gave  it  to  the 
town  of  Norwich  and  its  inhabitants  for  a  public  parade  or  open 
walk  forever. 

The  house  occupied  by  Rev.  Dr.  Howe,  facing  The  Parade, 
was  built  by  Joseph  Teel  of  Preston  in  1789  or  '90.  It  was  de- 
signed for  an  hotel  and  advertised  as  "The  Teel  house,  sign  of 
General  Washington."  It  was  noted  for  its  fine  hall  or  assembly 
room,  where  shows  were  exhibited  and  "Balls  and  Clubs  accom- 
modated." Where  General  Ely  lived  was  the  home  of  Rev.  Alfred 
Mitchell,  and  his  distinguished  son  Donald  (Ik  Marvel)  was  born 
there  in  1822.  It  was  a  fine  large  mansion,  but  one  sad  day  it  was 
cut  into  two  parts,  raised  on  jack-screws,  and  with  slow  and  digni- 
fied movement  retired  to  the  Falls,  where  the  parts  were  rejoined 
and  became  a  mill  house — "sic  transit  gloria  mtmdi." 

A  large  portion  of  Washington  Street  was  through  land  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Simon  Lathrop.  It  followed  the  river,  and  the 
path  had  been  called  the  West  sheep  walk,  while  Union  Street 
and  Broadway  had  been  called  the  East  sheep  walk. 

The  first  house  was  built  by  Elijah  Lathrop  in  1780,  others 
soon  followed  ;  Samuel  Woodbridge,  afterwards  owned  by  Mr. 
Richard  Adams,  Theodore  Barrel,  a  gentleman  from  Barbadoes, 
and  in  1809  Mr.  John  Vernet,  who  married  Mr.  Jesse  Brown's 


i6 

daughter,  purchased  the  Lathrop  house  (built  in  1780),  had  it 
moved  down  the  street  a  little  distance,  and  caused  a  new  house 
to  be  built  that  exceeded  in  cost  and  elegance  anything  that  had 
ever  been  built  in  Norwich  before. 

Sudden  embarrassments  coming  to  him,  he  sold  his  place  in 
1811  to  Mr.  Benjamin  Lee  of  Cambridge,  Mass.  The  grounds 
about  the  house  were  very  handsome,  and  it  was  one  of  the  de- 
lights of  my  childhood  to  walk  up  Washington  Street,  and  when 
I  came  to  this  place,  stick  my  feet  in  the  wall  and  pulling  myself 
up,  look  over  at  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden.  They  were  mira- 
cles of  art  and  beauty  to  me  then,  and  although  they  do  not  look 
quite  so  large  or  magnificent  these  days,  I  was  always  glad  to  see 
my  old  and  valued  friends,  and  was  sorry  to  have  them  leave  town. 
They  are  of  historical  value,  too ;  they  were  made  of  lead,  and  be- 
longed to  Mr.  Lee's  brother  who  lived  in  Cambridge,  and  had  them 
buried  all  through  the  Revolutionary  war,  presumably  for  fear  they 
might  be  melted  into  bullets. 

Quite  a  ways  down  the  street  was  the  home  of  the  Clements 
and  Breeds,  next  above  Mr.  Harwood.  Mr.  Jeremiah  Clement's 
daughter  Elizabeth  married  Mr.  David  Breed,  and  after  his  death 
she  married  Mr.  Aaron  Cleveland,  ancestor  of  President  Cleve- 
land. The  large  elm  tree  in  the  centre  of  Washington  Square 
was  planted  by  Peabody  Clement  when  he  was  twenty-one  years 
old  in  what  was  then  the  front  dooryard  of  the  Clement  home. 
The  tree  is  now  (1906)  about  160  years  old.  Mr.  John  Breed  lived 
there  also. 

Passing  on  down  Main  Street  we  come  to  the  Austin  block  ; 
this  was  at  first  Kinney  hotel,  but  was  later  called  The  Merchants 
hotel. 

In  the  summer  of  1833,  President  Jackson  was  making  a  tour 
of  the  New  England  States ;  the  opportunity  was  seized  to  cele- 
brate the  event  by  having  the  President  assist  in  laying  the  corner- 
stone of  Uncas  monument.  He  stopped  at  Kinney's  hotel  and  a 
banquet  in  his  honor  was  prepared  for  three  hundred  guests.  The 
dining  room  was  beautifully  decorated  with  greens,  and  artificial 
flowers  furnished  by  the  milliners,  of  whom  there  were  several  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  Mrs.  Lee  of  Washington  Street 
had  some  cultivated  strawberries,  the  only  ones  in  this  vicinity, 
and  they  were  considered  a  great  luxury.  She  sent  a  dish  of  these 


17 

to  the  President,  and  the  old  lady,  who  was  ninety  years  old  when 
she  told  me  of  these  incidents,  said  she  prepared  the  berries  with 
sugar  and  cream  and  gave  them  to  him ;  it  was  all  he  ate  for  his 
dinner.  Another  interesting  event  was  the  crowning  of  President 
Jackson  with  a  wreath  of  flowers  by  Miss  Ann  Lanman,  daughter 
of  Judge  Lanman,  as  he  sat  on  the  porch  of  the  hotel. 

She  also  told  me  her  grandfather  kept  the  tavern  on  the 
corner  of  Main  Street  and  Broadway  where  the  Norwich  Savings 
Bank  now  is. 

General  Washington  stayed  there  when  he  passed  through 
Norwich  on  his  way  to  take  charge  of  the  troops  at  Cambridge, 
June,  1775.  It  was  called  "  Cheney's  tavern."  In  the  early  days, 
to  be  licensed  to  keep  a  tavern,  one  would  have  to  be  possessed  of 
considerable  means,  and  of  some  consequence  in  the  community. 

On  the  Shannon  building  corner  was  the  store  of  Nathaniel 
Backus,  Jr.,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  places  of  the  Landing. 

As  we  go  through  Swallow  All,  as  East  Main  Street  was  then 
called,  we  pass  by  Franklin  Street,  then  the  road  to  Lisbon,  and 
come  to  the  Governor  Buckingham  house.  All  this  vicinity  was 
a  hive  of  sea  captains.  Governor  Buckingham's  house  was  built 
much  later  and  is  associated  with  later  history.  General  Grant, 
when  President,  visited  the  Governor,  and  a  reception  was  given 
in  his  honor  to  which  the  public  was  invited.  Abraham  Lincoln 
is  said  to  have  spent  a  night  there  also.  Many  of  the  Presidents 
of  the  United  States  have  visited  here,  and  Mr.  La  Fayette  Foster 
whose  home  was  on  Chelsea  Parade,  was  for  a  short  time  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States. 

The  old  toll  bridge  was  an  interesting  place ;  it  was  covered, 
and  a  lady  said  she  used  to  count  the  boards  going  over  to  take  up 
her  mind  she  was  so  afraid  ;  they  were  so  far  apart  you  could  see 
the  water  rushing  along  beneath,  and  she  felt  every  moment  she 
might  fall  through. 

Above  the  bridge,  almost  in  a  line  with  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Greeneville,  was  the  old  "riding  way,"  or  ford,  over  the  Shetucket 
river,  connecting  with  the  old  turnpike  from  Boston  to  Providence; 
the  same  used  in  all  probability  by  General  Washington  on  his 
different  visits  to  Norwich. 

The  people  living  in  Preston  often  used  this  "  riding  way  "  to 
avoid  paying  the  toll  at  the  bridge.  There  was  an  upper  "  riding 


i8 

way  "  near  Taftville,  which  was  more  convenient  and  probably  used 
much  of tener  by  the  Town  Plot  people ;  quite  likely  this  was  the 
one  used  by  Madame  Sarah  Knight. 

The  first  bridge  uniting  Chelsea  and  Preston  was  built  by 
Capt.  William  Whiting,  who  obtained  a  loan  of  £So  from  the  town 
treasury  for  this  purpose.  He  was  afterwards  distinguished  for 
gallantry  in  the  French  war  on  the  frontier.  This  bridge  was  built 
27  years  before  the  Bliss  bridge,  that  being  built  in  1764. 

Mrs.  Welch  told  me,  in  her  young  days,  more  than  a  hundred 
years  ago  now,  they  used  to  go  over  this  bridge  to  Tory  hill,  now 
called  Lanman's,  and  Pepper's  hill,  now  Laurel,  to  have  picnics. 
Old  Mr.  Pepper  and  his  wife  lived  there,  and  sold  beer  and  ginger- 
bread. Across  the  river  the  hill  was  sometimes  called  Oak  Spring 
hill  and  sometimes  Baptist  hill.  The  wharf  bridge  was  built  in 
1771  at  the  instigation  of  Mr.  Gershom  Breed. 

In  the  Norwich  Packet,  December,  1773,  was  the  following 
advertisement  of  the  lottery : 

SCHEME 
OF  A 

LOTTERY 

Granted  by  The  General  Assembly  of  The  Col 
ony  of  Connecticut  at  their  Sessions  in  Octob- 
er 1773  for  raising  the  Sum  of  ^278 — or  926 
Dollars  for  finishing  and  compleating  the  great 
Wharf  Bridge  at  Chealsea  in  NORWICH 
viz. 

2000  TickETS  at  *\  Dollars  each  is  5000 
Joshua  LATHROP        ) 
SAMUEL  TRACY        >•     MAnagers. 
RUFUS  LATHROP     ) 

£4074  Are  to  be  distributed  in  prizes 
926  For  the  benefit  of  the  bridge 

5000 

We  must  not  forget  that  Norwich,  or  Rocky  Point,  was  en- 
gaged in  shipbuilding  at  one  time — many  small  vessels  and  one 
small  man  of -war  were  built  here  and  sold  elsewhere,  because  wood 
was  plenty,  and  it  was  easy  to  float  them  down  the  river. 

The  European  and  West  Indian  trade  was  quite  important, 
and  a  source  of  great  wealth  to  the  people  of  Chelsea. 


19 

Along  the  wharves  were  lying  coasting  sloops,  packets  and 
brigs,  and  back  on  Water  Street  were  the  mercantile  establish- 
ments ;  the  most  prominent  of  all  were  those  of  Jacob  De  Witt 
and  Gershom  Breed,  both  established  in  1765. 

On  the  way  to  Taftville  we  pass  the  monument  of  Mianto- 
nomo.  The  history  of  this  chief  is  too  well  known  to  repeat.  If 
this  monument  does  not  mark  the  place  of  his  death,  it  does  of  his 
capture.  At  first  it  was  a  rude  heap  of  stones,  cast  there  by  the 
Indians,  friend  and  foe  alike,  though  each  was  actuated  by  differ- 
ent motives.  It  gradually  disappeared,  and  when  it  was  decided 
to  erect  a  monument,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  determine 
the  place  where  it  had  been.  Rev.  Mr.  Shipman's  father  was  one 
of  the  number  and  remembered  seeing  the  heap  of  stones  when  a 
boy.  When  asked  afterwards  how  he  knew  where  the  exact  spot 
was,  replied  :  "I  didn't  know  where  it  was,  but  it  was  no  time  to 
balk." 

Coming  across  from  Taftville,  we  will  make  a  flying  trip  to 
Bean  Hill,  and  just  look  at  the  old  Meeting  house,  the  Edmund 
Cookings',  Lieutenant  Tracy's,  Governor  Sutton's,  Lieutenant 
Griswold's  and  other  houses,  remembering  these,  too,  were  the 
founders  of  Norwich. 

At  Bean  Hill  was  one  of  the  first  potteries  in  this  country. 
They  manufactured  a  yellow  brown  salt-glazed  earthenware,  of 
which  there  are  very  few  specimens  in  existence.  This  salt-glaze 
was  discovered  about  1680  by  a  servant  who  lived  on  the  farm  of  a 
Mr.  Yale.  There  was  an  earthen  vessel  on  the  fire  with  brine  in  it 
to  cure  pork.  While  the  servant  was  away  the  brine  boiled  over, 
the  pot  became  red  hot,  and  the  sides  were  found  to  be  glazed. 
A  potter  utilized  the  discovery  and  the  salt-glaze  became  an  estab- 
lished fact. 

Half  way  down  to  the  "Town  Plot"  is  the  Mason  monument, 
which  is  placed  on  what  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  burial 
place  of  the  founders.  History  and  tradition  alike  say  Major 
Mason  was  buried  here. 

After  a  long  and,  I  hope,  not  too  weary  a  trip — so  long,  how- 
ever, we  have  had  to  leave  unnoticed  many  notable  places, — I  will 
leave  you  where  we  started,  at  the  Norwich  Town  Green  in  the 
old  Town  Plot. 


NORWICH     RECORD    PRINT. 


